Just a bit of Fun
by BranowynIvy
Summary: After a short string of less than satisfying relationships, Hermione is ready to let her hair down and have a little fun, trouble is the Weasley twins have decided it's their job to make that happen!


She knew this wouldn't work. From the very first she had known it was a bad idea, a disaster in the making. Hermione winced, trying and failing to cover her discomfort from her dinner companions, she was sure. Paul was a sweet enough man, he was smart and well put together with slicked back dish water blonde hair and gorgeous hazel eyes. He had a life plan and a career anyone could be proud of. He also happened to be a muggle. A muggle in the burrow seated next to Arthur Weasley, Molly, Ginny and Harry Potter...not to mention her ex boyfriend and one of her closest friends Ronald Weasley.

Brilliant.

Harry coughed and Ginny smiled. The awkward silence that had followed Arthurs several and insistent queries about the variety of personal shavers and the differences of each. Paul hadn't so much as answered as he had gawked and mumbled something about precision and name brand before teetering off to this very silence they were all currently suffering.

Hermione stifled a groan. She shouldn't' have brought him here. They had only been dating for a few weeks, nothing too serious but when he had asked to meet her family she hadn't been able to say no. It had been such a sweet moment. He wanted to get to know her better, wanted to get to know those who she loved most. She should have evaded him, told him they lived in Antartica or something.

"So, Paul.." Ron began but he frowned when he realized that his usual go to questions were invalid here. Quidditch was off the table and the latest from the daily prophet probably wouldn't go over any better. Thankfully, Molly was on top of things.

"What do you do for a living, dear?" She asked with interest, slopping yet another ladle full of mashed potatoes on his plate before sitting back down.

Paul swallowed, flicking a piece of the fluffy white substance from his jacket sleeve where it had splattered before responding. His voice sounded a bit strangled. "I'm an investment banker."

Arthur ooh'd and Hermione sighed.

"And what exactly do you 'invest." The patriarch of the Weasley family questioned, leaning in with interest.

Paul frowned, glancing at Hermione with confusion and some other emotion she was unwilling to decipher. "Well I-"

He didn't have time to finish, in fact, what happened next stunned him into absolute silence. Shock. Disbelief. The tell tale crack of apparation sounded, once, twice and suddenly the red headed Weasley twins were leaning against the kitchen counter arguing about some whiz it or snaz snot...Hermione blanched, Paul fell back in his chair, crashing to the ground. She knew they had been told not to use magic tonight. The twins took notice and turned to see what all the commotion was about. Their identical faces lighting up with amusement at the sight of Paul's sprawling limbs, Molly's harping, Harry and Ginny desperately trying to grab an arm or a leg or something to help and then there was Hermione. She sat in utter stillness, her back straight and her expression blank.

Ron pushed his chair back, marching over to shout at his brothers and she was aware, vaguely that Paul had been brought under control. Arthur whispering furtively about obliviation. She sighed again and Fred gave her a wink from across the room.

She really should have known better.

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Breaking up with Paul had come far too easy. After the debacle at the Burrow she had wasted very little time, ended the short lived relationship a few nights later at his flat in London. He took it well, and they parted amicably. That should make her feel better she supposed but if anything, it stung a little. It wasn't that she wanted him to fight for her, take up his lot on outside her window and beg her back. It was just a little emotion would have been nice. Just something to tell her that what they had, had meant something to him. And yet she couldn't give the same to him. She felt very little besides a small pang of passing sadness.

There had been no passion with Paul, in fact, there had never been any passion with anyone. Not with Ron or the short list of men that followed after him. Oh there were moments of fire she supposed, heat and desire but for the most part she wondered if there was something wrong with her. Ginny often spoke dreamily of the spark she felt for Harry, undeniable, insatiable.

Hermione had never met anyone she couldn't get over with a glass of wine and a really good book. Except for maybe Ron but he was different. They would always be friends. She gave another heavy sigh. She had been doing that a lot lately.

She was at home, alone, drinking glass of sweet red wine, curled up on her oversized chair with a dusty library book. It was an old tome in a language not her own and with each sip of wine she had more and more trouble making out the words. Eventually, she gave up. closing it softly and with care, her fingers running along the leather bound cover while she took another drink.

She wasn't pining for Paul. But she was unhappy. She was in a good place in her life, her work within the Ministry was rewarding, she made a good living for herself and she had the best friends and family a girl could ask for. And yet...she frowned. She was missing something. There was a definite hole in her life. She maintained a well and defined routine that suited her and her lifestyle and yet she found that some days she missed the excitement of her school days. The excitement, not the tragedy, not the horror.

So maybe that was what she needed. A little excitement. A little fun.

Another sip and the glass was drained of it's contents and Hermione felt sleepy. She would talk to Ginny, plan a girls night out, maybe see a show. A smile curled her lips and she closed her eyes, leaning back in her chair as sleep claimed her.

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"What do you mean you can't?"

Ginny smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry, Harry has promised to take off this weekend. I'll get him all to myself from Thursday to Monday." She frowned, looking pitiful. "You know how it is."

Hermione wanted to pout. She did know how it was. Harry hardly ever had any time to himself, he worked long hours and was lucky to have such an understanding wife. So a whole four days, to Ginny, that was priceless. She couldn't begrudge her friend that. "You're going to make me go out alone?"

"What about the girls from work?"

Hermione arched a brow and Ginny laughed. "You can mix work and pleasure. They will not think any less of you for letting your hair down every now and again you know."

"It isn't that, I just can't see myself relaxing with the likes of them around. I wanted to have fun! If I invite co-workers it will just feel like a work dinner."

"Not to mention Pansy's voice."

They both grinned, giggling together and missing the entrance of some new faces.

"What are we laughing at?"

Hermione twisted her head, her eyes still alight. "Morning, Fred, George."

The boys sat down at the table, a bowl of cereal appearing in front of one and a red apple popping into the mouth of the other. They nodded at her and Ginny came to sit next to them. "Hermione is just lamenting that she has no one to take her out this weekend."

George, still chewing a bit of apple turned to her. "Wha? No more muggles to torture and terrify?

Fred shook his head, "She couldn't have liked the last one very much if she brought him round here, George."

"Oh yes, only one way that was going to end and you knew it didn't you, Mione?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "That's absurd. You were told not to use magic that night! You did it on purpose."

They both grinned, "We're offended! That isn't true."

"But if it were."

"We only would have had the best of intentions."

She couldn't help but smile at them. She might have been upset that night, maybe even the night after but today, faced with them and their dazzling grins she just couldn't maintain it. "Well it didn't work out, I am sure you'll be happy to know. We broke up."

Fred feigned his shock, George slapping him on the back as he coughed. When they settled, they looked at her and then at eachother and then back to her. She shifted, crossing her arms over her chest. It was always disconcerting to have their full attention trained on her.

"Come out with us."

Ginny stopped humming under her breath and looked up, interested again. Hermione blinked. "Excuse me?"

Fred stood up and his brother followed, and before she knew it she had a one on either side of her, eagerly watching. "Let us take you out. Who better to show you a good time, than the Weasley twins?"

Ginny scoffed from across the room but the three of them ignored her.

"But..where will we go?"

"It's a surprise!"

She shook her head, smiling. "I have an idea of your surprises George Weasley and I don't think I ought to go along."

"But you're going to anyway." He predicted slyly.

"Come on, Granger, it's just a bit of fun."

Just a bit of fun. She bit her lip and looked to her friend, Ginny shrugged. Hermione took a deep breath, "Alright then, this Friday."

"It's a date." They said, together, their voices in unison and with a hint of something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

She gave a nervous chuckle, "It's a date."


End file.
